Nervous gulps escaped the throats of the townspeople.
Their bodies shuddered uncontrollably.
They lowered their gazes, unable to lift their faces to see who would emerge from the tent—
"Here I come."
—The Hero!
The fabric swayed in the air as it was pushed aside to make way for the most important person in the vast wasteland.
A faint aroma tickled the noses of every single person in the town, and they perceived a scent that induced a mind-numbing bliss.
The sweet smell of flowers, along with a strong dash of mint wafted around the entire camp.
Smiles unconsciously played on their lips as they eagerly expected him.
One step
Two steps
Then the man before them stopped.
A few were bold enough to shift their gazes a bit, allowing them to look upon the shoes he wore.
It was the most peculiar item.
It looked fluffy and soft—like cotton, and its shiny blue color was in sharp contrast to the dull, dirty ground.
An illustration of dragon heads was depicted on both of the strange fluffy shoes.
That was what gave the people their final clue as to what materials were used to create the soles for his feet.
Dragons!
The Hero had slain dragons and actually used their hide for shoes! The gazed at him in awe.
Such was his power!
"You may raise your heads." His voice was low, yet unnerving.
How could a single person command such authority?
As instructed, everyone began to lift their faces.
Their hearts began to beat quickly, like drums used to proclaim a forthcoming battle.
Was it just them, or…?!
It was at that moment that they realized… that an actual sound was playing!
The beats and rapid flow of the sound made their hearts jump in both elation and deep curiosity.
The sound was music, yet it was unlike anything they had ever seen.
The tempo rose as the hero got closer, they then looked up, finally gazing upon the one who stood before them.
'Nngh!!!'
Their eyes widened in awe as they laid eyes on him.
'ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N(ov)elBin',
Even Sarah and her four guards were surprised by the Hero's current appearance. When they summoned him, he hadn't been outfitted like this—not even close.
For a moment, silence pervaded the expanse as they could not seem to decipher his current image.
Donning a blue long-sleeved jacket that matched his trousers, the Hero had both arms out of the sleeves and wore a pure white vest underneath.
His dragon-designed shoes matched his outfit well, and the glow in his blue eyes made him look angelic.
Still, though, that was only the tip of the iceberg.
Atop the Hero's right palm was an object none of them had ever seen before.
It initially looked like a book, but its texture wasn't that of a book.
It seemed to a tablet encased in a black and gold pouch, but its surface was gleaming brightly.
It was from this very item that the sound they were hearing emanated from.
The crowd continued to observe nervously as the people wondered what sort of item the Hero had in his palm.
The few who could use Magic couldn't sense a trace of Mana from the thing, but they knew better than to judge a Hero's relic using their own standards.
It was most likely from a realm beyond their capabilities.
There was no doubt about it now…
… This was the genuine article—A True Hero!
Suddenly, the music stopped, and then the man standing before them gazed at the people with a warm smile.
It seemed like he was somewhat excited, but that was probably their imagination.
Perhaps the Hero was satisfied with their greeting, despite being inadequate? If so, then this truly was a benevolent being.
"Huu…" The magnificient being in front of them, heaved a great sigh.
Everyone stopped breathing.
Now, the tension was so thick, a knife could cut through it. It was clear that the magnificient being was about to address them.
No one dared move a muscle.
"… I greet you all." He said, smiling.
Silence.
They had no idea what they could do in response, so they simply settled for absolute decorum.
"You all must be weary. Having suffered such great tragedy and pain, truly, your desperation and sorrow have reached a justifiable crescendo."
Even if they said nothing, everyone was completely dazed by the Hero's mastery of words… as well as his immense understanding.
"Yet, you have all gathered before me. I thank you all."
Warm emotions spread throughout the hearts of those who listened. What manner of invincible being would be so considerate about the feelings of those beneath him?
This was something only the Hero was capable of!
"My name is Samuel, a Hero summoned to save this world from the scourge of evil."
Hearts were moved, and at this point, everyone had the same hopeful glimmer in their eyes.
To be honest, they had only attempted summoning a Hero to rescue them from their demonic invaders.
But, to think that this being had actually thought so far ahead! Truly, he was…
'',
"All I ask is that you trust my words wholeheartedly. As your Hero… I will help you!"
…. The Perfect Hero!
___________________
'Sweeeeeeeet!!!' I squealed internally.
The lines I had just uttered were one of my favorites from the T.W.T.S.S Light Novel.
It was said by the MC after a particular stronghold suffered severe casualties and desperately required the Hero's aid.
'I have to say… I pulled it off perfectly!'
Even though I couldn't get all those legendary items that the Hero had when he gave this reassuring statement, I compensated for it quite well with a few belongings of my own.
I had unzipped my pajama top, using it as a jacket while exposing my white vest underneath.
Then, I obtained my favorite pair of Flip Flops using the 'Shop' Feature.
I would have gone for the Crocs, but the Flip-Flops went well with my Pajamas, so it was the best choice.
As for what I held in my hand like a Grimoire… it was none other than my Tablet!
It had a very solid pouch that had rune designs on it to make the thing look like a legit Grimoire, but it was just an average Tablet.
Of course, I used the music feature and gave myself a pretty neat beat to make a proper entrance.
Having technology in a world like this helped a great deal. I was certain they would think I was using some sort of advanced Magic to generate the sound.
'Hahaha! In Another World With My Tablet. Epic!'
Some would call it unnecessary, but what kind of grand entrance didn't have a great background music to go with it?
I had to create the perfect atmosphere!
Why would I go so far, though? The answer was simple.
'I needed them to believe that I was the real deal—a Hero!'
And not just that, but I also needed to properly establish my position in this new society.
Based on my experience with Hero stories, there were two major routes that the Summoned One usually had to take.
The first was the path of prestige and respect— where the people would actually love and adore the Hero for his deeds.
However, the more popular route was the second one—where the Hero gets betrayed or is forced to work his ass off to help the citizens of the new world.
No one gave a Hero any recognition in the second route, and he always had to prove himself or go on a loner's journey.
According to what was mentioned in T.W.T.S.S about the MC's first Heroic adventures, he had followed the latter.
The problem with these sorts of things was that the second route was usually arduous.
The MC would overcome several obstacles alone, and would suffer all kinds of punishments.
Some developments ended with the MC building a Harem, but I was sure that the harsh environment of my favorite Novel would not condone such a thing.
'Damien suffered a lot in his first go. I didn't plan on going through that, not in the slightest!'
If I could conquer this starter town and somehow build a stronghold for myself here, then the first route would be more feasible for me to achieve.
That was all there was to it.
'Alright, then! Let's do this Hero thing!'